30 September 2011

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. A couple of years ago I started the tradition of making him a special birthday breakfast. Every year I scan my "to-make" recipe collection (now more easily done thanks to Pinterest!) for a yummy fall-themed breakfast. This year, since his birthday was on a Thursday, I also got to choose a fun fall-themed dessert to make him and I thought, why not throw a drink in there too? I enjoyed making my Summer Sangria so much that I thought it would be fun to make a fall version. I saw an autumn sangria recipe on BHG and changed it up to suit our tastes and to make it my own.

If you think this sounds good, let me tell you, it's even better than you think it is! It's amazing. I wasn't sure if it was going to need the Sprite or not, and it actually doesn't. It's really good without it. We had it both ways. The Sprite adds nice carbonation and will help "stretch" the servings if you're making it for a crowd.

The original recipe didn't call for apple cider or spiced rum. It called for sparkling apple cider, but I could only find grape at the store. Then I saw the apple cider and thought that apple cider mixed with Sprite would be better than sparkling apple cider. And I had a coupon for the spiced rum, so I thought, why not? The flavor pairs perfectly with everything else, and the added undertone of vanilla was really good!

This was before we added the Sprite (we didn't actually add it to the pitcher; just our individual glasses).

Such a pretty combination of fruits! I had never used figs before. I bought some fresh ones on Tuesday, but unfortunately they didn't make it to Thursday. The store I went to on Thursday only had the dried kind, but that worked just fine. "Dried" is kind of a misnomer because they aren't really dry at all; they are really sticky and gooey! I used dried apricots only because I had a package in my pantry that I had no plans for. You can use a fresh apricot if you like. You can also use dried plums or prunes if you like. I like how this can be made using dried fruits from the pantry, especially if you're making it in the dead of winter when decent fresh fruit can be hard to find.

The fruit all covered in molasses. I never would have thought to use molasses in a drink. I wasn't sure how it was going to taste, so I only used half of what the original recipe called for. I think it adds sweetness and some color.